Input Sought on Maui Long Range Transportation Plan

Maui bus. File photo courtesy Office of Council Services.

The Maui Metropolitan Planning Organization is seeking public input on a Factbook that presents emerging trends in transportation; a look at who lives, works, and visits the island of Maui; how people move around Maui today; and a summary of key issues and opportunities to focus the next phase of work.

The deadline to submit comments for review is Dec. 16, 2018.

As Maui continues to grow, challenges have surfaced for the current transportation system. Hele Mai Maui is a 20-year transportation plan that seeks to identify safe and comfortable transportation options, services, and infrastructure for people of all ages and abilities. The plan is a key federal requirement carried out by the MPO to prioritize transportation projects to receive federal funds.

PC: Maui Metropolitan Planning Organization

The project team—made up of County staff and consultants—will engage with the Maui island community at key milestones.

MPO Executive Director Lauren Armstrong said, “We heard that people on Maui want it to be safer, easier, and more convenient to travel around the island. We also heard that people value a sustainable, resilient, and affordable transportation system that will serve people on Maui for years to come.”

QKC Pop-up. PC: Maui Metropolitan Planning Organization

Using data collection and analysis from various sources, the Factbook has identified some interesting finds including the following:

• By 2040 there could be 33,000 more people living on Maui and 15,000 more daily visitors, straining existing infrastructure.
• People aged 65 and older will likely make up a quarter of Maui’s population by 2040, pointing to a need for a transportation system that safely serves people of all ages and abilities.
• Sea level rise of 3.2 feet could lead to 11 miles of flooded major roadways on Maui, where resilience to climate change is a key priority.
• An average of 100 crashes per year involve people walking and biking – 17% result in severe injury or death, highlighting the need for separate spaces for cars, bikes and pedestrians.
• Maui Bus ridership in 2017 was 1.8 million rides on 13 routes, and half of those surveyed in outreach efforts said they would ride the bus if service were more convenient.

Share your input on the Hele Mai Maui Factbook – available online at www.mauimpo.org/hele-mai-maui-2040.

Next steps include a public call for transportation projects, an evaluation of project benefits and tradeoffs, and a funding plan for the prioritized list of projects. Check back to the project website for updates on the next round of community engagement in early 2019.